Methods and apparatus for making a handoff determination as a function of service level indicating metrics

An access terminal comprising:

• a wireless receiver module for receiving power reference signals from attachment points, said power reference signals including power reference signals corresponding to a plurality of different carriers, at least some of the power reference signals corresponding to a carrier being transmitted from different attachment points at different known power levels;
• a best connection identification module for identifying on a per carrier basis, the attachment points with which the best connection can be established using the corresponding carrier, said best connection identification module including a received power based selection sub-module for selecting the attachment point as a function of the difference between known transmission power levels corresponding to different attachment points and the strength of the power reference level signals received from the attachment points;
• a first service level indicating metric calculation module for calculating a first service level indicating metric corresponding to a current connection corresponding to a first attachment point using a first function;
• a second service level indicating metric calculation module for calculating a second service level indicating metric corresponding to an alternative connection corresponding to a second attachment point using a second function which is different from said first function;
• and
• a handoff decision module for making a handoff decision based on said first and second service level indicating metrics.

An access terminal comprising:

• wireless receiver means for receiving power reference signals from attachment points, said power reference signals including power reference signals corresponding to a plurality of different carriers, at least some of the power reference signals corresponding to a carrier being transmitted from different attachment points at different known power levels;
• best connection identification means for identifying on a per carrier basis, the attachment points with which the best connection can be established using the corresponding carrier, said best connection identification means including received power based selection means for selecting the attachment point as a function of the difference between known transmission power levels corresponding to different attachment points and the strength of the power reference level signals received from the attachment points;
• first service level indicating metric calculation means for calculating a first service level indicating metric corresponding to a current connection corresponding to a first attachment point using a first function;
• second service level indicating metric calculation means for calculating a second service level indicating metric corresponding to an alternative connection corresponding to a second attachment point using a second function which is different from said first function;
• and
• handoff decision means for making a handoff decision based on said first and second service level indicating metrics.

A computer program product, comprising:

• non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
• code for causing a computer to receive power reference signals from attachment points, said power reference signals including power reference signals corresponding to a plurality of different carriers, at least some of the power reference signals corresponding to a carrier being transmitted from different attachment points at different known power levels;
• code for causing a computer to identify on a per carrier basis, an attachment point with which the best connection can be established, said code for causing the computer to identify including code for causing the computer to select an attachment point as a function of the difference between known transmission power levels corresponding to different attachment points and the strength of the power reference signals received from the different attachment points;
• code for causing a computer to calculate a first service level indicating metric corresponding to a current connection corresponding to a first attachment point using a first function;
• code for causing a computer to calculate a second service level indicating metric corresponding to an alternative connection corresponding to a second attachment point using a second function which is different from said first function;
• and
• code for causing a computer to make a handoff decision based on said first and second service level indicating metrics.

An apparatus comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• receive power reference signals from attachment points, said power reference signals including power reference signals corresponding to a plurality of different carriers, at least some of the power reference signals corresponding to a carrier being transmitted from different attachment points at different known power levels;
• identify on a per carrier basis, an attachment point with which the best connection can be established, said processor being configured, as part of being configured to identify on a per carrier basis an attachment point with which the best connection can be established, to select an attachment point as a function of the difference between known transmission power levels corresponding to different attachment points and the strength of the power reference signals received from the different attachment points;
• calculate a first service level indicating metric corresponding to a current connection corresponding to a first attachment point using a first function;
• calculate a second service level indicating metric corresponding to an alternative connection corresponding to a second attachment point using a second function which is different from said first function;
• and
• make a handoff decision based on said first and second service level indicating metrics.